Adventures across the Danelaw (aka Easter Holiday Plans)

The time has finally come for my regular pilgrimage back to the heart of the Danelaw, the great city of Jorvik and spend time with my baby nephew who suprisingly has viking red hair (my father's gene's have skipped a generation hehehe).

My planned raids within the area are first upon Jorvik itself and for good cause as I'm hoping to meet an historical author friend of mine who is visiting the UK (from USA) to see his own family and have his own holiday! His name is Christopher Spellman and he wrote this book (below):



Click here to see my review of his book:



But I'm also currently half way through his second book - which I aim to finish in time for our hopeful meeting :)



We've been in contact before but when he messaged me on Goodreads telling me he's coming over soon I couldn't help but find out if the dates match my easter holiday break at work and they do! He's travelling up to Scotland with his parents and he intends to visit Jorvik and the Viking Centre again on the way. I told me I live nearby so if we could meet up that would be great and he said he'd love too! Will speak to him over phone via direct call or text/email after the weekend allowing him to adjust to the new time zone etc. So I can't announce any definite details yet but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed and taking both books for him to sign.

Second planned raid is going to occur in Scarborough! Or Escardeburg as it is spelt in the Doomsday Book (1160). The harbour town itself was developed and settled by vikings after the Romans left - the name derives from the old scandinavian name of Skarthi and in my Oxford Dictionary of British Place-names it says "Probably 'stronghold of a man called Skarthi'" This is me when I was last in Scarborough:

At least 2 years ago on a rare summer like day

I am hoping to finally have a chance to visit the Scarborough castle museum and see if they have any artefacts or info about the Vikings settling in Scarborough or at least when King Harald Hardrada of Norway first invaded Scarborough on his final voyage across the north seas. Here is a portrayal of his war fleet landing at Scarborough sands on  the soon to be completed Battle of Fulford Tapestry which I was able to witness up close at this years Jorvik Viking Festival:

Part of the very first few scenes of the Fulford Tapestry.

The third final planned raid will take place at a place that nearly everyone who knows the basics of English history is aware of, a place that has always been more or less on my front door step and a place suprisingly that I haven't been to before despite its significance! I name this place Stamford Bridge - and if you don't know where I mean add the prefix of  'Battle of' and it should go ping in your head.

My dear old Mum who tolerates my overall wierdness and viking madness has agreed to take me out for a day there this easter holiday (she's my driver until I get a car of my own) and she was nice enough the last weekend when I was at home as she drove through it (mainly because other route was blocked by a narrow bridge - no not the bridge in the battle). And I shrieked very literally with delight for not only did I spy a nice stone monument dedication to the battle directly outside the village/town pub BUT also a street sign saying VIKING ROAD!  I am sooooo going to have lots of photographs taken of these cool historical features of the area, and especially that street sign hehehe.

So there you have it, my three targets to raid, pillage and plunder of their vikingy goodness during these easter holidays and so have my own vikingy adventures. So yes, (I know I am saying so a lot) I will have lots to show and tell about upon my return in mid April.